Electric chime device



May 17, 1949. cs. L. BOSSARD I ELECTRIC CHIME DEVICE Filed Sept. 28,1946 I [N V EN TOR.

Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATES OFFICE ELEC RIC DEV Gisbert L.Bossard, Cleveland, Ohio Application September 28, 1 $l 46, Serial No.700,133

-6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a signal device, particularly of the typecomprising an electromagnetically actuated chime.

It is the object of the invention to so construct a signal device ofthis character as to facilitate the assembly and mounting thereof withthe consequent reduction in cost, but more particularly to improve uponthe tone quality and volume.

One feature of the invention resides in the mounting of the actuatingunit whereby the entire operative structure is carried directly upon thefront housing cover as distinguished from the usual support thereof uponthe side walls or back plate. This is accomplished by providing thehousing cover with inwardly extending bosses to which the operativestructure may be directly and readily secured as hereinafter described.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a seriesof vibration emitting apertures formed in the side walls of the housingcover, which comprises a resonator chamber, in such relation to therespective tonal bars as to minimize any dampening effect thereon andeliminate the necessity of accurate tuning of the bars with respect tosaid chamber. Thus, the desired resonance is obtained with improved tonequality and reduced dampening effect, as well as increased volume bymounting the tonal bars in centered spaced relation to themultiapertured walls of the resonanc chamber.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a dustcover of insulating material removably secured over the back of thehousing cover for enclosing the resonance chamber and sealing theoperative structure therein, but wherein said back cover is apertured toexpose a terminal plate for convenient wiring without opening up thechamber. This avoids the possibility of bunching wires duringinstallation inside the resonance chamber and against the tonal bars,completely insulating said wiring from the resonance chamber andoperative structure therein.

A further feature of the invention resides in the mounting of theresonance bars upon supporting straps through the medium of rubber orlike grommets, said grommets and the bar supported thereby being soformed as to permit of only a knife-edge supporting contacttherebetween. Such knife-edge contact serves to minimize the dampeningof the tone, leaving the entire area of the bars exposed for vibrationand thereby increasing th tonal volume of the bars which is desirable ina signal device of this character.

The full nature of the invention will be underbe c nven nt plan viewshowingthe dust cover in one of the grommets and the tonal bar carriedthereby.

in the drawings there is shown a signal device in the form ofan-electromagnetically actuated chime having a front housing cover l0formed with walls II to embrace a resonance chamber. The upper and lowerend Walls are provided with ears [2 for convenient mounting of thedevice upon a suitable su port such a a verticalwall.

Each of the side walls II have formed therein three apertures indicatedatl3'inter'mediate the ends thereof and separated by the spacing barsl4, and the front wall is formed with inwardly ex end n sfs s l a Theelectromagnetic actuating unit H is provided with. outwardly extendingsupporting feet It adapted to be secured to the bosses l5 throughsuitable rubber grommets. Said unit embodies a pair of solenoids eachhaving a plunger'tube I 9 in which the striking plungers 2B are actuatedelectromagnetically in the nanner more particularly set forth anddescribed in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 690,874;filed August l6, i946 entitled Electromagnetic device. The upperstriking plunger is'arranged for double action to strike the tonal bar2| upon its solenoid being energiged, and the tonal bar 2;. upon beingds eer iz d. as a esu o sp n when? lower strikingplunger is singieactingfstriking the tonal bar 22 when the solenoid is energized andbeing snubbed when it is deener'gized. Said unit carries on the rearface thereof a terminal plate 23 having terminal connections 24 forelectrical connection with the electrical wiring25.

Said .unit and tonal bars are sealed within the resonance chamber by adust cover 26 clamped to the walls ll by the ears 21, excepting f or theexposure through the aperture is therein of the terminal plate 23. Thus,the electricjalwiring' 25 .cvnnee d 9 h f i m plate without removing thedust cover which also protects the operative structure withinthere'sonance chamber from interierence thereby.

Mount d upon t bosses l5 th fi'i a Pa of transversely arrangedsupporting straps 29, one above and one below the actuating unit. Theends of each of said straps are reduced at 30 and slightly rounded toreceive a rubber grommet 3|, said reduced ends 30 terminating in a bentover tip 32 for locking the respective grommets thereon. Said strapssupport the tonal bars 21, 22, the bar 2| being supported by thecorresponding ends of said straps in position to be struck by the upperplunger 20. The bar 22 is supported by the corresponding opposite endsof said straps in position to be struck by either the upper or lowerplungers 26. Said straps are arranged to support said bars inwardly adistance from their opposite ends approximately one quarter of theirlength so that about half the length of each bar spans the distancebetween their supporting straps 29. Said bars are also supported inspaced relation to the side walls ll directly opposite the apertures [3,with said apertures arranged to span the central portion thereof.

For improving the tonal qualities and volume of the bars 2|, 22, thegrommets 3| are formed as shown in Fig. 5 to provide a knife-edgesupport, said bars as indicated at 33, having a circular aperture of aninner diameter less than the outer diameter of the opposed flanges ofthe grommets but greater than the inside diameter of said flanges. Saidgrommets may be of rubber or other flexible or resilient material suchas to permit freedom of vibration of the bars relative to their fixedSupporting straps, and furthermore, having a minimum of contact withsaid bars. Such mounting, by increasing the freedom of vibrationcorrespondingly increases the tonal qualities and sound volume. Inasmuchas the major vibration of the bars is centrally thereof, the series ofapertures 13 are positioned directly opposite thereto, permitting ofready passage and escape of the sound waves through the side walls ofthe cover with a minimum of interference.

From the above, it will be apparent that the two units of the operativestructure may be conveniently mounted within the housing or removedtherefrom if necessary, one comprising the electromagnetic actuatingunit mounted upon the bosses l5, and the other comprising the tonal unitmounted upon the bosses it. With said units mounted in place, and thedust guard 26 clamped to the housing, the operative structure need notbe further disturbed in the mounting and wiring of the device for use.

Whereas, the invention has been disclosed herein in the form of onemodification, it is obvious that variations thereof may be employedwithin the scope of the appended claims. For example, wherein the tonalbars are shown herein of equal length but of different thickness to giveoff different tones, they may be of the same thickness but of differentlengths in which case it is preferable to offset the straps 29 toaccommodate such variation of length. Also, wherein said supportingstraps 29 are shown herein as being independently mounted, they may bein the form of a supporting plate having projecting reduced strapportions 30 for supporting the tonal bars in the desired spaced relationrelative to the striking plungers. Other variations in the structureover that herein shown can likewise be utilized without distinguishingfrom the invention as claimed. For example, wherein the apertures l3 areshown herein as grouped centrally of the side walls of the resonatorchamber, they may be arranged in spaced relation so that the endportions of said walls are each provided with such 4 aperture to lieopposite each end of the respective tonal bars and thereby eachutilizing a one quarter wave.

The invention claimed is:

l. A signal device comprising a front cover having walls thereaboutembracing a resonance chamber, the side walls thereof being providedwith a plurality of spaced apertures, inwardly extending bosses carriedby said front cover, an electromagnetic actuating unit secured to oneset of said bosses and provided with a pair of striking plungers, a pairof mounting straps secured to the other set of said bosses on oppositesides of said actuating unit, and spaced tonal bars carried by oppositeends of said straps positioned to be struck by said plungers, said barsextending parallel with and spaced from said walls opposite saidapertures.

2. A signal device comprising a front cover having walls thereaboutembracing a resonance chamber, inwardly extending bosses carried by saidfront cover, an electromagnetic actuating unit secured to one set ofsaid bosses and provided with a pair of striking plungers, a pair ofopposed tonal bars positioned to be struck by said plungers mounted onthe other set of said bosses within the walls of said front cover, and aback cover for enclosing said units apertured to expose the wiringconnections of said electromagnetic actuating unit.

3. A signal device including a support, a pair of spaced tonal bars,each bar having an aperture therein, a bracket on said support formounting said bars, a grommet interposed between said bracket and eachof said bars extending through the respective apertures therein, saidbars being of a thickness and each of said grommets being formed withoppositely inclined flange portions embracing said apertures, saidapertures of a diameter relative to the spacing and inclination of theflanges of said grommets for effecting a knife-edge supporting contactbetween said grommets and the opposed edges of the apertures in saidbars.

4. A signal device including a support, a tonal "bar adapted to becarried by said support, said bar being apertured, a yielding grommetmounted on said support extending through said aperture and formed withoppositely inclined flanged portions engageable with the oppositeperipheral edges thereof for knife-edge supporting contact therewithwhereby the inner surface of said aperture will be spaced therefrom.

5. A signal device including a support, mounting straps secured to saidsupport, the opposite ends of said straps being reduced and terminatingin a deformable interlocking tip, a resilient grommet mounted on each ofsaid reduced ends and locked thereon by said tip, and a pair of opposedtonal bars apertured adjacent their opposite ends carried by thecorrespondingly reduced ends of said straps and embraced by saidgrommets Within said apertures.

6. A signal device including a support, a pair of spaced mounting strapssecured to said support, the opposite ends of said straps being reducedand terminating in a deformable interlocking tip, a resilient grommetmounted on each of said reduced ends and locked thereon by said tip, anda pair of opposed tonal bars apertured adjacent their opposite endscarried by the correspondingly reduced ends of said straps and embracedby said grommets within said apertures, the inner surface of saidapertures being spaced from said grommets by a knife-edge contact be- 56 tween the opposite edges thereof and the inner UNITED STATES PATENTSbiased surfaces of said grommets.

GISBERT L. BOSSARD. Number Name t 2,189,181 Rittenhouse Feb. 6, 1940REFERENCES CITED 5 2,194,507 Lord et a1. Mar. 26, 1940 2,333,875McMullen Nov. 9, 1943 figi f are in the 2,417,037 Zuckerman Mar. 4, 1947

